Photo Courtesy: nenews
Imphal: Security forces in Manipur’s Senapati district intercepted a vehicle posing as an Indian Army officer's car and seized 15.35 kg of suspected opium on Sunday. The operation took place at the T. Khullen check-post along National Highway-102, which connects Imphal and Dimapur.
A joint team consisting of the Special Operations Team of the Senapati Police, the CRPF, and the Assam Rifles conducted the search under the supervision of Superintendent of Police Zaib Shaikh. Authorities stopped the white Toyota Innova, which bore Assam registration number AS23AK5541, during a routine check at approximately 9 am.
Officers became suspicious because the vehicle displayed a VIP flag post, a one-star brigadier insignia, and nameplates labeled “ARMY” and “MINISTRY OF DEFENCE,” yet it lacked an official military escort. Upon conducting a search in the presence of an Executive Magistrate, personnel found 17 packets of opium stashed in a compartment built into the rear right door.
The driver, identified as 45-year-old Tarkeshwar Singh from Assam’s Tinsukia district, was arrested at the scene. Investigators confirmed that neither the man nor the vehicle had any legitimate ties to the military. Officials believe the fake markings were used to bypass security scrutiny.
Police seized the narcotics, the vehicle, two mobile phones, identification documents, and 5,000 rupees in cash. The suspect and evidence were transferred to the Senapati Police Station, where a case was registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Authorities are now working to identify the source of the drugs and potential accomplices in a broader trafficking network.
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